She stared at her notes. He seemed to care very much for his mother and spoke of her fondly. His partner, Julia, lived mainly with him, but had kept her own flat until they were sure about their relationship. Laura detected a similarity to her early days with Jackman. Afraid to take that final step, to commit to a future that would no longer be entirely yours. With her, the decision to commit had been taken pretty early on. Freddie and Julia had been debating their future together for two years. Even so, she couldn’t see this being the trigger for his sleepwalking. Something much deeper lay behind that.

The doctor’s referral letter lay open in front of her:

Dear Dr Archer

Thank you for agreeing to see this gentleman, Mr Frederick Shields, for me. After a year of regular bouts of sleepwalking, I have finally ruled out, as far as I can ascertain, any medical condition that is either causing or exacerbating this condition. We have counted out an adverse reaction to medication or drugs, and he is not a drinker, so alcohol is not a factor. He gets adequate sleep and does not suffer from sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome, both of which sometimes trigger an episode.

It is my belief that stress and anxiety may lie at the bottom of this, but he denies having any issues so serious that they might cause such severe occurrences.

I would be very grateful for your opinion on this gentleman, and any suggestions you might have as to future management of his condition.

Yours sincerely

Dr Peter Mason

The doorbell rang and her stomach clenched. Tension. This wasn’t like her, and it wasn’t good. As a therapist she had to be calm and in control, both for her patient’s sake and for her own well-being. She had been told that she had all the qualities and personal skills of an excellent therapist. So why did this man unsettle her so much? She got up to answer the door, deciding that she’d give him one more session. Then, if she still felt uncomfortable, she would suggest he see a different psychotherapist. Maybe Sam Page might be interested.

She held the door open for him and smiled. ‘Mr Shields. Do come in.’ On their first visit they had agreed not to use first names. She always gave her clients the option. Some people assumed that the use of first names indicated friendship. She was not making friends, she was counselling them, and it was a professional relationship.

‘Dr Archer.’ He nodded politely. ‘I’m not late, am I?’

‘No, not at all. Come on in and sit down.’ She closed the door and ushered him to one of the sofas.

Today he was wearing a light grey sports jacket with a Nike logo, denim jeans and a banana-coloured polo shirt. He looked as if his hair had been recently cut. Spoiling the relaxed, sporty image was his anxious expression. As soon as they were both seated, he said, ‘I’ve done it again, Dr Archer. I’ve taken the car out while I was asleep.’